Window operator

ABSTRACT

An improved window operator including a housing having an open side to be closed by a cover plate. The open side of the housing is provided with a peripheral lip formed of a deformable material and inwardly of the lip is a peripheral ledge on which the cover plate may be seated prior to deforming the lip over the cover plate to retain the same in place.

United States Patent 1 Northrup [451 Mar. 27, 1 973 ['54] WINDOW OPERATOR [75] Inventor: Lyle M. Northrup, New Hampton,

Iowa

[73] Assignee: Lynor Engineering, Inc., New

Hampton, Iowa [22] Filed: Nov. 26, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 202,153

[52] U.S. Cl. ..74/425, 74/606 [51] Int. Cl. ..F16h 1/16, F 16h 57/02 [58] Field of Search ..74/425, 606

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,048,051 8/ 1962 Pickles ..74/425 3,398,590 8/ 1968 Campbell et a1 ..74/425 X Primary Examiner-Leonard H. Gerin Attorney-Axel A. l-lofgren et al.

[57] ABSTRACT 7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures WINDOW OPERATOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to window operators, and more particularly, to window operators of the type wherein rotary motion from a crank is changed in direction and rate by a worm gear in engagement with a sector gear, the latter being adapted to move a window between open and closed positions.

Over the years, there have been proposed many different types of window operators of the type wherein a sector gear is driven by a crank operated worm gear, with both gears being received within a housing. Typically, the housings have been formed of two parts either as two separate half housings or as an open sided housing provided with a cover plate.

In some instances, the two portions of the housing have been secured together only by those elements, as for example, wood screws, employed for securing the operator to a window casement or the like in order to conserve on the cost of fabrication. That is, by using fasteners required to fasten the operator in a place of use to additionally secure the portions thereof together, cost may be minimized.

This approach has not proved particularly desirable in that, withno means provided for holding the housing in assembled relation prior to installation, the housing portions may separate, with the result that the mechanism contained therein may fall out. As a result, some manual effort must be exerted to reassemble the operator.

Another approach has been to use rivets or the like for securing the two portions of the housing together. While this approach has proved successful, it has increased the expense of fabrication of such window operators more than is desirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the principal object of the invention to provide a new and improved window operator. More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a new and improved window operator of the type wherein gear elements are contained within a two-part housing and wherein the two parts of the housing are secured together in such a way as to result in a low cost window operator.

The exemplary embodiment achieves the foregoing object by means of a construction wherein an open sided housing for receiving a sector gear and a worm gear is provided with a peripheral ledge adapted to receive and seat a cover plate. About the periphery of the ledge is a lip formed of a deformable material, in the preferred embodiment zinc, which may be deformed about the edge of the cover plate as by crimping to firmly hold the same in place.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a window unit including a window operator made according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a window operator made according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the window operator with parts of the same broken away for clarity;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken approximately along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken approximately along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION or THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An exemplary embodiment of a window operator made according to the invention is illustrated as being installed on the sill 10 of a window frame 12 receiving a window sash 14. The .sash 14 is mounted for pivotal movement within the frame about a vertical axis approximately coextensive with the right-hand side of the frame 12 as viewed in FIG. 1. A crank 16 is secured to a portion of the operator for moving the sash 14 between open and closed positions within the frame 12.

Turning now to FIG. 2, the window operator is seen to include a housing 20 from which an operator shaft 22 adapted to receive the crank 16 extends. The housing 20 includes a closed side 24 surrounded by a continuous side wall 26. From the closed side 24 projects a window operating shaft 28. Opposite ends of the housing 20 may be provided with counter-sunk apertures 30 for receipt of flat-headed screws to secure the operator to a sill or the like.

With reference to FIGS. 3-5 inclusive, it will be appreciated that the side of the housing 20 opposite the closed side 24 is open and is adapted to be closed by a cover plate 32. More particularly, virtually the entire periphery of the open side of the housing 20 is provided with a ledge 34 which in turn is surrounded by a thin, deformable lip 36. As can be seen, the cover plate 32 is seated in place upon the ledge 34 and the lip 36 deformed about the periphery of the cover plate 32 to firmly hold the same in place. Thus, the component parts of the housing 20 are firmly secured together without the need for special fasteners. Preferably, the height of the lip is at least twice the thickness of the cover plate 32 while the thickness of the lip may be on the order of one one-hundreth of an inch.

Within the housing as thus closed, is a worm gear 38 in mesh with a sector gear 40. The worm gear 38 is integral with the crank receiving shaft 22 and includes a reduced diameter portion 42 received within a cast formation 44 within the housing for purposes of retaining the worm gear 38 in a fixed position along its axis of rotation.

The other side of the worm gear 38 terminates in a stub shaft 46 received in a similar cast formation 48. v

The sector gear 40 is in mesh with the worm gear 38 and is integral with the window engaging output shaft 28 which emerges from an opening 50 in the side 24 of the housing20. To provide stability to the shaft 28, a stub portion 52 extends oppositely therefrom to be journaled in a sleeve-like formation 54 formed integrally with the cover plate 32 and extending into the housing a distance just sufficient so that the endmost portion 56 thereof will be in substantial abutment with a face 58 of the sector gear 40.

The face 58 of the sector gear 40 also mounts a longitudinally extending thrust bearing surface 60 which is adapted to engage the inner surface of the cover plate 32 as illustrated in FIG. 4, again to provide stability as mentioned.

Finally, the assemblage is completed by a cast rotation limiting means 62 located within the housing 20..

dow operator made according to the invention is extremely simple, being formed of but four separate elements and without any need for separate fasteners. Preferably, the parts may be formed from zinc to resist corrosion. in addition, the use of zinc, an easily deformable material, facilitates fabrication of the window operator employing the unique feature of a deformable lip for securing the housing and cover plate in assembled relation.

I claim:

1. In a window operator including a housing having an open side, a cover plate closing the open side of the housing, a sector gear journaled for rotation in said housing and including a window drive shaft extending from the housing, and a worm gear drivingly engaging the sector gear and having a drive shaft extending from the housing and adapted to be secured to a crank or the like, the improvement which comprises: means defining a peripheral [edge about said housing open side, said ledge having a shape corresponding to that of said cover plate; and a thin lip of deformable material peripherally outwardly of said ledge and extending away from the same a distance greater than the thickness of said cover plate, said lip being'deformed about the periphery of said cover plate to firmly hold the same in place.

2. The window operator of claim 1 wherein said sector gear includes an axially extending thrust bearing surface projecting from one face thereof, said surface bearing against said cover plate within said housing.

3. A window operator according to claim 2 wherein said sector gear includes a stub shaft extending axially from a face thereof in the same direction as said thrust bearing surface; said cover plate including sleeve-like journaling means extending interiorly into said housing about said stub shaft, the length of inward extent being such that the end of said sleeve-like journaling means is closely adjacent said face of the sector gear.

4. A window operator according to claim 1 further including means within said housing for limiting rotation of said sector gear.

5. A window operator according to claim 1 wherein said thin lip is formed of zinc.

6. A window operator according to claim 1 wherein said thin lip has a thickness on the order of approximately one one-hundredth inches.

7. A window operator according to claim 1 wherein the length of said thin lip is at least twice the thickness of said cover plate. 

1. In a window operator including a housing having an open side, a cover plate closing the open side of the housing, a sector gear journaled for rotation in said housing and including a window drive shaft extending from the housing, and a worm gear drivingly engaging the sector gear and having a drive shaft extending from the housing and adapted to be secured to a crank or the like, the improvement which comprises: means defining a peripheral ledge about said housing open side, said ledge having a shape corresponding to that of said cover plate; and a thin lip of deformable material peripherally outwardly of said ledge and extending away from the same a distance greater than the thickness of said cover plate, said lip being deformed about the periphery of said cover plate to firmly hold the same in place.
 2. The window operator of claim 1 wherein said sector gear includes an axially extending thrust bearing surface projecting from one face thereof, said surface bearing against said cover plate within said housing.
 3. A window operator according to claim 2 wherein said sector gear includes a stub shaft extending axially from a face thereof in the same direction as said thrust bearing surface; said cover plate including sleeve-like journaling means extending interiorly into said housing about said stub shaft, the length of inward extent being such that the end of said sleeve-like journaling means is closely adjacent said face of the sector gear.
 4. A window operator according to claim 1 further including means within said housing for limiting rotation of said sector gear.
 5. A window operator according to claim 1 wherein said thin lip is formed of zinc.
 6. A window operator according to claim 1 wherein said thin lip has a thickness on the order of approximately one one-hundredth inches.
 7. A window operator according to claim 1 wherein the length of said thin lip is at least twice the thickness of said cover plate. 